Severn Valley Railway Diesel Gala 2017 Praise

[Redford73]

I just paid a visit to the above today and what an excellent event!

 

I am quite local to the SVR and visit every year or two but hadn't been to one of the diesel galas for a few years. 

 

Not sure if it was a bigger event this year because of the 30 year anniversary of the diesel galas but it was a really good effort.  Saw my first ever Deltic ('Ballymoss') in the flesh (they were around when I was a boy but as I lived in the Midlands I never saw any) and there were a good many locos present at this event - Classes 08, 14, 31, 47, 45 and 50 and better still the Kidderminster Diesel Depot is now opened with several other locos under repair and the new Electro-diesel Class 88.  They even had a couple of layouts inside the depot!  There were also stalls at the station entrance dedicated to the Class 50, 52 and 55 preservation groups and others selling books and dvds.  The turnout was also very big with platforms and trains pretty full (I mention this as it was unusual to see such numbers at D&E events at the SVR and I suspect other preserved railway galas).  

 

Apologies to those who were already aware of the features at this event but I was really impressed and it has brought home how the D&E scene has really taken off over the last few years and it brings it home that many of the preserved diesels are now 40-50 years old.

 

Anyway well worth a visit to the next one for those of you who are D&E fans and live in/around The Midlands.

 

 

[iallcroft]

Agree it was a great event, and pleased to be able to help out by displaying Bridge Norton once again in the Diesel Shed. A few pics of this O Gauge layout attached.

Edited May 22, 2017 by iallcroft